The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field on Saturday with everything at stake. In a win-and-in scenario, both NFC South franchises had an opportunity to either come out victorious and host a playoff game or see their season officially come to an end.
As if the stakes weren’t enough for the Panthers vs Buccaneers matchup on ESPN, Mother Nature had an impact. It was a first half of non-stop rain and the soaked field still had an impact on the action in the second half. Now let’s dive into our winners and losers from today’s game.
Winner: Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach
Would we classify this as an impressive win by the Buccaneers? No. However, Todd Bowles provided ownership with a rationale they can use publicly for why he should remain the head coach next season. Tampa Bay still isn’t locked into the playoffs, as the Panthers would clinch the NFC South via a three-way tiebreaker if the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but the team did what it needed to do on Saturday. We don’t even agree that Bowles should stay, and his decision to blitz on a 4th-and-8 that Bryce Young beat for a 40-yard strike is just more evidence as to why. Yet, Tampa Bay won, and that will likely be good enough for ownership to let Bowles rest easy.
Loser: Officials Blowing the Whistle Early
On an afternoon where the Panthers offense had struggled to move the football, Bryce Young and Co. found themselves with a 1st-and-10 at the Buccaneers’ 34-yard line early in the second quarter. A backward pass from Young went through Rico Dowdle’s hands and hit the ground, and he immediately scooped it up. However, the field judge ruled it incomplete and then, seconds later, ruled it a backward pass that went out of bounds. Except, Dowdle was nowhere close to stepping out of bounds when he recovered it, and he had space in front of him to run had the play not been incorrectly blown dead. As the rules analyst told the broadcast, the erroneous whistle should have meant Carolina got to replay the down. Instead, they were stuck with a 2nd-and-17 and missed a 54-yard field goal attempt two plays later. This isn’t even mentioning the…questionable non-calls minutes later on Carolina’s next possession.
Winner: Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The rain made it so both offenses struggled, so the little plays mattered. Cade Otton came up huge on the game-opening drive, pulling down a short reception and taking it 10 yards to set Tampa Bay up in the red zone. On the very next play, Otton found space in the end zone for an 18-yard score to take the early lead. On the Buccaneers’ first two scoring drives, he had three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. Later in the game, he added a 22-yard reception and then drew a defensive pass interference penalty late in the third quarter that set the offense up at the Panthers’ 35-yard line. Finally, when the Buccaneers needed to deliver a dagger, Otton came through on 3rd-and-4 with a 20-yard catch-and-run to ice it and eclipse 90 receiving yards.
Loser: Carolina Panthers Run Game
If the passing game is struggling in the rain, you need the rushing attack to step up. Unfortunately for Panthers head coach Dave Canales, Carolina never got any traction on the ground. Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard turned 12 carries into 20 rushing yards, averaging just 1.7 yards per carry without a single rush of 6-plus yards. Unsurprisingly, without the support of a run game that could create third-and-shorts, the Panthers went 1-for-7 on third down on their first eight drives.
Winner: Chase McLaughlin, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As the Panthers’ Ryan Fitzgerald showed, it wasn’t easy kicking in these field conditions. Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin just made it look that way. He came up huge for Tampa Bay, drilling field goals from 48, 36, and 29 yards out. Given the weather, McLaughlin’s performance was particularly impressive, and the Buccaneers certainly wouldn’t have won this game without him.
Loser: Dave Canales’ Flea-Flicker Call
Why? Just why? After struggling to move the football all game, Carolina’s offense reached the red zone and had a 1st-and-10 opportunity. On a slippery field that required players to change out their cleats but still left them struggling with footing, Dave Canales opted for a flea-flicker. Young handed it off to Dowdle, who slipped to the ground; his pitch back to Young landed several feet away for an easy fumble recovery. That baffling play-call likely cost Carolina at least three points in a 16-14 loss.
